Electromagnetic flowmeters are commonly used in various industries to measure the flow rate of conductive fluids flowing through pipelines or other conduits. In principle, electromagnetic flowmeters generate a magnetic field in conductive fluid. When the conductive fluid is flowing, the magnetic field induces a voltage difference between two locations in the fluid that are spaced apart in a direction transverse to the fluid flow. The magnitude of the voltage difference is related to flow rate. By detecting such a voltage difference, fluid flow rate can be measured.
Conventionally, electromagnetic flowmeters are used as field devices in a process control system. A transmitter is typically used to communicate a flow measurement taken by an electromagnetic flowmeter to a process control network. Since the induced voltage measurement is an analog signal, which is prone to signal degradation, the transmitter must be physically located near other hardware components of the flowmeter to ensure measurement accuracy. Moreover, the wiring between a transmitter and other components of an electromagnetic flowmeter can be burdensome because separate sets of wires carry signals for generating an electromagnetic field and detecting an induce voltage. Accordingly, an improved electromagnetic flowmeter is desired.